Tab-forming device



Aug. 25, 1959 w. J. BRITTON TAB-FORMING DEVICE Filed Jan. 18, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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United States 2,901,248 TAB-FORMING nnvrcn William John Britton,Brentwood, England, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Johnson d: Johnson, New Brunswick, N.J., acorporation of New Jersey Application January 18, 1956, Serial No.559,942

Claims priority, application Great Britain January 18, 1955 3 Claims.(Cl. 270-68) This invention relates to means for forming tabs uponstrips of adhesive tape.

It is the present practice to use adhesive tapes, more particularly,pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes for wrapping and sealing packages. andmany other uses. Often it is desirable to have a pull or tab portionserving to facilitate removal of the tape. It has been the custom tomake these tabsby hand when the tape is in process of application. Handmanufacture of tabs on pressure-sensitive adhesive tape is difficult andthere is a risk of spoiling the stick properties of the adhesiveresulting in a most unsatisfactory tab.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part.hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefirom, or may be learned bypractice with the invention, the same being realized and attained bymeans of the combinations and improvements pointed out in the appendedclaims.

The invention consists in the novel combinations and improvements hereinshown and described.

It is a purpose of this invention to provide a device that willautomatically form a tab at the end of the length of adhesive tape priorto the severance of that length of tape from the source of supply.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a device thatis in the form of an attachment which may be very easily mounted on atape dispenser of known type and design.

According to the present invention an apparatus for folding pressuresensitive adhesive tape upon itself to form tabs compn'ses means forsupporting a roll of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, a pair ofrelatively movable platforms to which the said tape will adhere, meansbiassing said platforms to be normally adjacent to each other, asevering blade carried by one of said platforms, and means operable bythe tape, as the latter is drawn from the roll serving to separate saidplatforms.

In a preferred form of this invention one of theplatforms is fixed andthe other platform, which carries the severing blade, is mounted on apivoted arm, a stop being provided to limit movement of the arm. Themov- I able platform, is moved away from the other platform by automaticmeans which preferably are operable by the drawing off of the tape andcomprise a spindle, means for biassing the spindle for rotation in onedirection, a collar moimted on the spindle to be rotated thereby buthaving a capacity to slip, a linkage connecting the collar to thepivoted arm, and a roller, against which the back of the tape is adaptedto bear as it is drawn off from the roll, in driving connection with thespindle and to rotate the spindle in the other direction and thereby themovable platform is moved away from the fixed platform.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a parthereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together withthe description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

2,901,248 Patented Aug. 25, 1959 "ice Figure 1 is a side elevation of apressure-sensitive adhesive tape :dispenser having a tab-formingattachment mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the apparatus as shown inFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation showing the platforms separated just priorto severance of tape; and

Figure 4 is a plan view of the apparatus as shown in Figure 1.

A pressure-sensitive adhesive tape dispenser of known type including ameasuring device is shown having a tab-forming device mounted thereon.The dispenser comprises a heavy base 1 having two side walls 2 and 3between which is mounted a roll 4 of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape.The roll 4 is carried by a reel 5 having tnunnions 6 journalled ininclined slots 7 formed in the inner surface of the side walls 2 and 3.Mounted on the side wall 2 is a measuring device of known type whichcomprises a resilient roller 8 against which the back of the tape 9bears, and a spindle 10. The roller 8 coupled to the spindle It bymeshing gears 30 and 31. The roller 8 and the gear 30 are fixed to acommon shaft 32 which, in turn, is journaled in the side wall 2, whilethe gear 31 is fixed to the spindle 10. Thus, the spindle It} is drivenby rotation of the roller 8 through the gears 30 and 31. A dial 11,carried by the spindle, is scaled and provided with a stop 12 whichcooperates with an abutment 13 on the side wall 2. The spindle 10 isbiased for rotation in one direction by means of a coil spring 34mounted thereon. One end of the spring 34 is fixed to the spindle 10 andthe other to a pin 35 extending outwardly from the lower inside wallportion of the side wall 2.

The dial 11 is held for unison rotation with the spindle 10 by a pin 36extending inwardly from a disk 37 which is rotatably mounted on thespindle. The disk 37 is integral with a cylindrical boss 33 which alsorotates on the spindle 1t? and extends through the side wall 2 to buttagainst one side of the dial 11. The dial, in turn, is fixed to the boss38 for rotation therewith by the set screw 39. The pin 36, which islocated adjacent the periphery of the disk 37, normally engages teeth ofthe gear 31 carried by the spindle 10 to connect the dial 11 to thespindle through the disk and the boss 38. The pin 36 may be disengagedfrom the gear 31, by moving the dial 11 with the disk 3'7 attached alongthe spindle 10- away from the gear. t

To set the measuring device, the pin is, disengaged from the gear andthe dial is rotated in an anti-clockwise direction to bring the scalereading corresponding to the length of tape required, beneath theabutment 13. The pin is then re-engaged with the gear locking the dial11 for unison rotation with the gear and spindle 10. It will beappreciated that the dial, together with the spindle ii), is free to berotated in a clockwise direction, against the bias of the coil spring,until the stop 12 meets the abutment l3.

' The arrangement of this measuring device is such that when the dialhas been set to the length of tape required and the tape is drawn off,the roller 8 is rotated by the tape thus causing rotation of the spindle10 and the dial 11, against the bias of the coil spring carried by thespin die Iii, until the stop 12 meets the abutment 13 which preventsfurther rotation of the dial 11 and roller 8, thus indicating that therequired length of tape has been drawn off. The tape is then severedthereby releasing the roller 8 which together with the spindle l0 anddial 11 is ro tated to its normal rest position by the action of thecoil spring mounted on a spindle 10.

An upstanding platform 14 is mounted at one end of the base 1 betweenthe side walls 2 and 3 on the side of the roller 8 remote from the roll4 of tape. A movable platform 15, together with a severing blade 16, issecured to one end of an angle arm 17 pivoted on a pin 18. The pin 18 ismounted within the base 1 between the side walls 2 and 3 at a point wellbelow the fixed platform 14. The arm 17 projects through an aperture 19in the end wall 24) of the base 1 and it positions the platform 15adjacent the platform 14. Pivotally connected at 21 to the other end ofthe arm 17 to that carrying the platform 15 and the blade 16 is aconnecting link 22. The other end of the link 22 is pivotally connectedto an arm 23. The efi'ective length of the link 22 may be adjusted bytwo nuts '24 connecting the link 22 to the arm 23. The arm 23 has acollar 25 embracing the spindle 1t The collar 25 is so adjusted that itwill move with the spindle provided the arm 23 is free to move but ifmovement of the arm 23 is prevented, thereby holding the collarstationary, the spindle 10 is free to slip, within the collar 25. Anadjustable stop which comprises screw 26 and a lock nut 27 is providedto limit the outward movement of the arm 17. The screw 26 extendsvertically through the wall 20 into the aperture 19.

When a length of tape is drawn off from the roll 4 it rotates the roller8 which through the gears 39 and 31 rotates the spindle 10. As thespindle: 10 rotates it carries with it the collar 25, which through thearm 23 and link 22 pivots the angled arm 17 thus separating the platform from the platform 14. The movement of the arm 17 is limited by thescrew 26 and, at which occurrence,'should tape continue to be drawn offfrom the roll the spindle 10 is free to rotate slipping within thecollar 25. When the desired length of tape has been drawn off from theroll 4 it is severed by bringing it down to bear against the blade 16 asshown in Figure 3 and at the same time the tape is brought into contactwith, and adheres to, the platforms 14 and 15. When the tape has beensevered, the pull of the tape against the roller 8 is released and itrotates, together with the spindle .10, back to its normal rest positionunder influence of the coil spring carried by the spindle 10. Thisreverse rotation of the spindle 10, through the arm 23 and link 22,pivots the angled arm 17 back to its normal rest position with theplatform '15 adjacent to platform 14; should the arm 17 be back in itsnormal position before the roller 8 is in its normal position, theroller 8 and spindle 10 continue rotating until in their normal restposition as the spindle 10 is free to slip within the collar 25. It willbe appreciated that as the platform 15 moves back to a position adjacentplatform 14, the length of tape 28 spanning the gap between the twoplatforms when apart, will be buckled upwards to-form a loop 29 (seeFigures 1 and 2) with those two portions of the tape, forming the loop,adjacent to the platforms, in adherence with each other. When a furtherlength of tape is required the operator takes hold of the loop formedwhen the previous length of tape was severed from the dispenser, betweenhis thumb and forefinger, thus flattening the loop to form a tab.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specificcombinations and improvements described but departures may be madetherefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departingfrom the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chiefadvantages. 7

What is claimed is:

1. A tab-forming device comprising means for supporting a roll ofpressure-sensitive adhesive tape, a fixed surface on the supportingmeans to which the tape will adhere, a second surface to which said tapewill adhere pivotally mounted for movement toward or away from the fixedsurface, a cutter on the second pivotal surface, means constantly urgingthe pivotal surface toward the fixed surface, means adapted to contactthe back of the tape and actuated by the withdrawal of tape for drivingthe pivotal surface away from the fixed surface, and means driven bysaid tape actuated means and connected to said pivotal surface foreffecting pivotal movement of said pivotal surface.

2. A tab-forming device comprising a base, means on the'base forsupporting pressure-sensitive tape, a fixed surface on the base to whichthe tape will adhere, a pivoted lever having a second surface thereon towhich the tape will adhere, for movement toward and away from the fixedsurface, said second surface being provided with a cutter, meansconstantly urging the lever in a direction to pivot the second surfacetoward the fixed surface, rotatable means in engagement with the tapefor actuating the lever in a direction to pivot the second surface awayfrom the fixed surface as the tape is withdrawn, and means connectingsaid rotatable means and said lever for effecting pivotal movement ofsaid second surface.

3. A tab-forming device as set forth in claim 2 having a roller incontact with the tape, a rotary shaft mounted in the base, meansconnecting the shaft to the lever, a spring biassing the shaft in adirection to pivot the lever and second surface toward the firstsurface, and means connecting the roller with said rotary shaft so thatwithdrawal of the tape moves the shaft in a directionto pivot the leverand second surface away from the fixed surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

